Trying to understand the nuances of the Covid vaccines and what motivates Fundamentalist Mormons, then weave them into a suspense thriller, was not an easy task. I owe a debt of thanks to several people who educated me.
First, my gratitude to Mette Harrison, born and raised in the Mormon community, for her generosity and time in answering basic questions about establishment Mormons as well as Fundamentalists. Her Soho series, starting with The Bishop’s Wife, is not to be missed. Her nonfiction essays and books on the Mormon religion are also quite instructive.
The Chicago Department of Public Health steered me onto the right path in detecting tiny amounts of substances postmortem. Internist Dr. Tom Neumann introduced me to the Glenbrook Hospital Pharmacy staff, whose input was also quite helpful.
Mike Black, retired police office in Mattison, Illinois, and author of two dozen crime novels, helped me with police and FBI procedure.
Any errors are mine alone.
In terms of writing, I couldn’t do it without the feedback from my writing group: Tim Chapman, Eric Arnall, and Diane Piron-Gelman. Your ability to smooth out my prose and catch mistakes makes me a better writer. Sue Trowbridge is critical to the production process; she never gets it wrong. And Miguel Ortuno, my cover designer, is simply the best.
Finally, my developmental editor, Jodie Renner, is fantastic. Her suggestions on restructuring the story were spot on, and her sharp eyes and copyediting skills made DoubleBlind a tighter, more readable novel. Can’t wait to work with her on the next one.
Two books were also helpful in my research:
Jon Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. Doubleday, 2004
Miles Harvey, The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch. Little, Brown and Company, 2020
Thank you one and all.